Rail appliance.



9. J. GRIFFIN.

RAIL APPLIANCE.

APPLICATION FILED APR.23. 1912.

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llhis invention relates to improvements in appliances tor railroads,particularly those adapted to prevent the spreading of the rails ofrailroad tracks. i

The principal object of the invention is to provide a very simplyconstinctedrail clamp and brace whichwill rigidly hold the track railsin their proper'spaced relation.

l-ln additional object is to provide a d vice to be applied tothemeeting ends of a pair of rails for holdingthe same against shifting,and thus maintaining their tread portions in the same plane at alltimes.

Still another object is to provide a brace bar having means torholdingthe nuts and bolts which look the Ineetingends of a pair of rails,against rotation.

With these and many other objects in view, the invention resides in thenovel tea tur s of construction, and the coml'iination and arrangementof parts which will be hereinafter more particularly described andclaimed and shown in the drawings wherein:

Figure 1 represents a transverse section through a pair of rails showingthe improved brace bar applied thereto lhig. :5 is an end view of one ofthe brace bars showing a portion of the meeting ends of a pair ofrailsin side elevation;

ll? 3 is a transverse section on the plane ot the line 3-3 of Fig; 1; y

lFig. t is a detail perspectiveviewot one ot the clamping plates Fig. 5is a similar view, taken from the under side of the plate; and

Fig. 6 is a horizontal section taken sub stantially upon the plane ofthe line 6-6 of Fig. l.

ltlteterring more pa rticularlv to the acconr panying drawing whereinsimilar reference characters denote like arts throughout the severalviews, lt and R indicate a number or traclt rails arranged in spacedrelation Uontinuation of application Serial H; 128,562, filedOctoherfiflywlsp This application filed. s an 23,1917.

and secured to the usual ties T. In Figs. 2 end d, the meeting ends of apair of rails R are shown secured together by means oi ordinary fishplates F through which and the webs W extend bolts 1 the ends thereof being threaded andprovided with nuts 2.

this of the objects of the invention is to provide a track gage and railbrace, and in the drawing this is shown consisting OIE a relatively thinbrace bar which extends transversely otthe rails and in engagement withtheir-bases Any numberet these braces may beprovided at suitable pointson the track, and in each instance they are constructed substantiallysimilar to the one illustrated. The bar 8 projects a considerabledistance on each side of the rails lit and it and has a pair of seatstherein formed by recesses 4, said recesses being spaced apart thedistance which it is desired to dispose the rails apart.

The recesses dare suthciently deep to receive the base flanges of therails, the in nor wall 5 of one being upright, while the inner wall 5 ofthe other recess slightly overhangs the bottom thereof. lhe outer wallsof both recesses overhang the bottoms of said recesses as shown at 6,thus toriningin etlect undercutportions in which the outer base flangesof the rails are dis posed. The ends of the portions 6 engage the websof the rails or the fish plates li The portions 6 further havereinforcing heads 7 termed integrally with the tops thereoftorengagement with the webs and fish nlates of the rails. i

The portions 6 and the heads 7 securely hold the rails against outwardmovement and thus prevent their spreading. the inward movement of therails being prevented by the clamping niembersin the form of the plates8 and 8, The plate 8 hasa dependingportion to provide a shoulder 9 forengagement with the upright wall 5 of one of the recesses. while theplate8"has an inclined'lower face. as shown. Both plates are providedwith reinforcing heads substantially similar to the heads 7 and adaptedto engage the inner side of the webs of the rails or the inner fishplates. The bottom of the depending portion which forms the shoulder 9is shaped to lit the inner base flange of the rail It. Extending throughthe plates 8 and 8 and the brace bar 3 are bolts 111m vided with nuts 12to hold said rails against lateral movement and also to prevent themfrom being raised from their recesses.

In order to prevent rotation of the bolts and nuts 1 and 2 due to thecontinuous vibration of the rails caused by the passage of rolling stockthereover, the reinforcing heads 7 and 10 are utilized as nut locks.From Figs. 2 and 3 it will be seen that each of the heads 7 and 10 hassubstantially parallel upright sides 13 and that they are of a widthapproximately the distance between the adjacent sides of the innermostpair of nuts 2. r

In assembling the device to the rails, the meeting ends of the rails Itare first inserted longitudinally in the proper recesses before saidmeeting ends are joined together by the fish plates and bolts, theselatter plates being then connected to the rails, and the plate-8 is thenclamped in place. The rails R are thus positioned so that the adjacenthead 7 has its upright sides disposed between the heads of the innerpair of bolts, and engaged with the same. The nuts on the free ends ofthe inner pair of bolts are likewise engaged by the adjacent heads 10 onthe plate 8. This obviously efiectively prevents rotation of these boltsand nuts.

The rail R must necessarily be tipped or canted slightly sidewise whenplacing it in position in the other recess. The plate 8 being removedwhen this is done is then clamped in place.

By having the inner wall 5 of one of the recesses 4 overhanging thebottom of this recess, the meeting ends of the rails It are firmlyclamped in place so that the tread portions of the same are maintainedat all times in the same plane. This obviously prevents the customaryuneven jarring of the rolling stock and noise as it passes from one railsection to another.

This device may be very inexpensively manufacturedand readily applied tothe track where needed. It is designed to be used in addition to theordinary ties or sleepers, preferably only at the joints in the rails.The brace bar 3 may be made rather thin, thus economizing in the amountof material used without sacrificing its strength to any'great extent.

I claim j 1. A device of the class described com- Copies of this patentmay be obtained for prising a relatively thin brace bar disposed beneatha pair of rails, said bar having a pair of spaced recesses therein, theinner wall of one of said recesses being upright, the inner wall of theother recess and outer walls of both recesses overhanging the bottomsthereof for engagement; with the base flanges of the rails, heads formedintegrally with the overhanging outer walls for engagement with the websof said rails, plates detachably secured to said bar adjacent the innersides of said rails, one of said plates having a depending shoulder forengagement with the upright inner wall of one of said recesses, andheads formed integrally with said plates for contact with the innersides of said rails.

2. The combination with a plurality of rails, fish plates disposed oneach side of the meeting ends of a pair of said rails, bolts extendingthrough the fish plates and the webs of the pair of rails, and nuts onthe ends of said bolts, of a relatively thin brace bar disposed beneathone of said rails, and the meeting ends of said pair of rails, said barhaving spaced recesses to receive the base flanges of said rails, theinner wall of one of therecesses being upright, the inner wall of theother recess and the outer walls of both recesses overhanging thebottoms thereof for engagement with the base flanges of said rails,heads formed integrally with said overhanging outer walls, platesdetachably secured to said bar adjacent the inner sides of said rails,one of said plates having a depending shoulder for engagement with theupright inner wall of one of said recesses, and heads formed integrallywith said plates for contact with the inner sides of said rails, all ofsaid heads being of a width substantially equal to the distance betweenthe inner pair of nuts, the head on one of said plates being disposedbetween said inner pair of nuts, one of the outer heads being disposedbetween the bolt heads of the inner pair of bolts to prevent rotation ofthe bolts and nuts.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

JOHN J. GRIFFIN.

Witnesses:

JOHN R. MCCRANIE, J osnrn: It. PARTIN.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington,.D. C.

